Bluegrass Roadtrip 2006

If you read the postings on the BG-L or the New England BG-L, you may have seen information on this upcoming road trip, but if not, here's the scoop:

KCI Travel of Coventry, CT has put together a 9-day motor coach trip which will feature a whole lot of great BG attractions, including Fan Fest at IBMA in Nashville, a stop by Bill Monroe's restored homeplace and Jerusalem Ridge in Rosine, KY, and a visit to the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, KY. The trip runs from September 25-October 3, 2006, and is limited to 30 participants. Kevin Lynch, noted long-time CT mandolin player, and host of "UH Bluegrass" on WWUH Radio will be the tour host. I talked to Kevin last weekend about this trip, and he said that it was already drawing a lot of interest shortly after the information was first released. The deadline to make your reservation is midnight on Monday, July 24th. If you'd like to see a full flyer on this tour, click here. If you have other questions, call Kim at KCI Travel at (860)742-2620 or email kim@travelwithkci.com after July 5th. If you have questions before then, contact Kevin Lynch via email: KLbgrass@aol.com. In the subject line for emails, be sure to write IBMA Tour.

Happy travels!

Amy

Mineral Springs Foot Stomp'n Festival - June 30, July 1 & 2

This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the Mineral Springs Family Campground in Stafford Springs, CT hosts its annual Foot Stomp'n Festival. I'm not sure which number festival this is, but this event has been going on a for a long, long time. The festival features a great lineup of local and regional bands, including GrassRoutes, FreeWheelin', TrueGrass, Southern Rail, Acoustic Blue, Charter Oak Bluegrass, Gail Wade & Friends, and the Old Time Bluegrass Singers. If your "holiday" weekend (that really seems like stretching it in this case, as the 4th doesn't come until Tuesday) isn't already full, why not make the trip to Stafford Springs to see a bunch of great bands? The weather forecast for this weekend is a good one, so you may not even need an umbrella or raingear. Wish I could be there...

The fun starts on Friday evening at 8PM, features a full day of music on Saturday (11AM-11PM), and winds down on Sunday (10:30AM-2PM). If you need more information, call (860)684-2993 or visit the Mineral Springs Family Campground website.

Amy

Images of Jenny Brook -- June 23 & 24

Here are a few band shots from the Jenny Brook BG Festival last weekend. From top to bottom, they are Springfield Exit (Tom Adams, David McLaughlin, Linda Lay, David Lay), the Gibson Brothers (Eric & Leigh, along with the "third Gibson Brother," Mike Barber), the Seth Sawyer Band (Dave Shaw, Dave Orlomoski, Candi Sawyer, Seth Sawyer, Daryl Smith), the Old Time Bluegrass Singers (Herb Applin, Dick Bowden, & Lillian Fraker--banjo player Terry McGill is in back), and Nick Anderson & the Gospel Friends (Richard Gilbault, Tom Bowman, Janice Main, Nick Anderson, Jim Plecan).

A few words about Jenny Brook...

Folks -

If you missed out on attending the 6th annual Jenny Brook Family BG Festival in Weston, VT last weekend...well, you missed a good one! From Leroy Troy's Thursday night set to Nick Anderson & the Gospel Friends closing everything down on Sunday afternoon, it was just terrific, non-stop music. Seeing Springfield Exit (featuring fabulous lead vocalist, Linda Lay) with David McLaughlin and Tom Adams playing along was a treat for this long-time JMB fanatic, and the Gibson Brothers were a blast, as always. Of course, the regional bands were quite impressive, as well, especially BearTracks and four bands with CT connections: TrueGrass, the Old Time Bluegrass Singers, Nick Anderson & the Gospel Friends, and, of course, the hosts--the Seth Sawyer Band. Fortunately, for all of us, while the Weston weather was not perfect, we didn't get the monsoon-type rains that were the norm in CT last weekend. Congratulations to Candi & Seth Sawyer for another wonderful festival, and we will all look forward to the next Jenny Brook FBF in June 2007.

In a separate post, I'll include some pics from last weekend's festival. If you attended and had a great time, why not dash off a note to Candi & Seth? Email is a good way to go: clsawyer@adelphia.net. I'm sure they'd love to hear from you.

Amy

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 6/25/2006

"Bluegrass Cafe" - 6/25/2006 -- Jim Beaver

• Down By The River / Gillis Brothers / Down By The River / Hay Holler
• Pardon Me / Tommy Brown & the County Line Grass / Hard Drivin' / Lavenir
• Wild Turkey / Gillis Brothers / Down By The River / Hay Holler
• The Working Man Way / Bo Isaac / I'm Not Living Life (It's Living Me) / Goodtyme
• Keep On The Firing Line / Ralph Stanley / A Distant Land To Roam / Sony
• Beautiful River Of Life / Melvin Goins & Friends / I Wouldn't Miss It / Rebel
• Our Last Goodbye / Dave Evans / Pretty Green Hills / Rebel
• A Town That Isn't There / Mountain Heart / Wide Open / Skaggs Family
• Gonna Paint The Town / Sushi & Gravy featuring Takeharu Kunimoto / The Last Frontier / Shami Records
• I Got A Woman / Gibson Brothers / Red Letter Day /Sugar Hill
• Too Good To Be True / Alecia Nugent / A Little Girl…a Big Four-Lane / Rounder
• Let's Part The Best Of Friends / Virginia Ramblers / The Virginia Ramblers / Hay Holler
• I'll Still Write Your Name In The Sand / Del McCoury / Livin' On The Mountain / Rebel
• Catfish John / Charlie Waller & the Country Gentlemen / 45 Years of Memories / Pinecastle
• Down By The River / Old Time Bluegrass Singers / Threads / Open Road
• Pretty Green Hills / Dave Evans / Pretty Green Hills / Rebel
• Highway 52 / Don Reno & Red Smiley / Together Again / Rebel
• The Golden Rocket / David Peterson & 1946 / In The Mountaintops To Roam / Self-Produced
• When The Cactus Is In Bloom / Joe Val / Diamond Joe / Rounder
• Wild Urge To Ramble / Blue Highway / Marbletown / Rounder
• Little Pal / Curly Seckler / That Old Book Of Mine / County
• If I Could Go Back Home Again / J. D. Crowe & the New South / Flashback / Rounder
• Bluegrass On My Mind / Mitch Harrell / Oh Heart / So Long
• Gonna Settle Down / Clay Jones / Mountain Tradition / Rural Rhythm
• Cold Winds / King Wilkie / True Songs / Self-Produced
• Black Eyed Susie / Mac Martin & the Dixie Travelers / Travelin' On / Copper Creek
• Lonesome Old Home / Joe Isaacs / Dreaming of Home / Musicmill
• Dark As The Night, Blue As The Day / Michael Cleveland / Let 'Er Go, Boys! / Rounder
• I've Lived A Lot In My Time / Dry Branch Fire Squad / Just For The Record / Rounder
• Cheek To Cheek With The Blues / Del McCoury / A Deeper Shade of Blue / Rounder
• Heartbreak Number Nine / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / You Gotta Dig A Little Deeper / Rounder
• Down And Out Again / Dave Evans / Pretty Green Hills / Rebel
• Come Back Darling / Earl Scruggs / The Essential Earl Scruggs / Columbia
• It's Too Late Now / Pete Goble / When I'm Knee Deep In Bluegrass / FireHeart
• Good Time Blues / Blue Highway / Wind To The West / Rebel
• I'm Going Back Where Time Stands Still / Hunger Mountain Boys / Blue Ribbon Waltz / Old-Fi
• I'm The Biggest Liar In Town / Don Reno & Red Smiley / 1951-1959 / King
• Can't You Hear Me Calling / Jimmy Gaudreau's Bluegrass Unit / Live in Holland / Strictly Country
• Girl Behind The Bar / The Blinky Moon Boys / Moonlight Theatre / Hay Holler
• Monrosine / Emerson & Newton / A Foot In The Past, A Foot In the Future / Pinecastle
• Whitewater / Bela Fleck / Drive / Rounder
• My Little Georgia Rose / Bill Monroe / 1950-1954 / Collectors Classics
• Beautiful Blue Eyes / Red Allen & The Kentuckians / The Bluegrass Hall Of Fame / Highland
• Run Mountain / J. E. Mainer / The Bluegrass Hall Of Fame / Highland
• Wildflowers / Terry Eldredge / Your Own Set Of Rules / Pinecastle
• Tramp On The Street / Carl Story / The Bluegrass Hall Of Fame / Highland
• Jacob's Vision / Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder / Soldier Of The Cross / Skaggs Family
• On Chariots of Fire / Norman Wright-Kevin Church Band / More Sacred Songs From Hay Holler / Hay Holler
• Paul and Silas / Stanley Brothers / The King Years 1961-1965 / King
• Shouting In The Air / Johnson Mountain Boys / The Stained Glass Hour / Rounder
• Gospel Plow / Nashville Bluegras Band / The Stained Glass Hour / Rounder
• Ohoopee / Gillis Brothers / Down By The River / Hay Holler

Off to Jenny Brook...

Hope many of you (or at least, maybe one or two) are planning to go to the Jenny Brook BG Festival this weekend. If you read my earlier post about the festival, you know that it's located in Weston, VT, and runs from Thursday, June 22nd through Sunday, June 25th. It should be a great time, with music from the always-entertaining Gibson Brothers, as well as Springfield Exit, Leroy Troy, BearTracks, and at least 4 bands with some CT connections: TrueGrass, the Old Time Bluegrass Singers, Nick Anderson & the Gospel Friends, and your hosts, the Seth Sawyer Band. According to the 10-day forecast on weather.com, it looks like there's a possibility for some thunderstorms on each day. Great. We'll keep our fingers crossed that the forecasters are wrong...

Amy

Some pics from "The Magic Of Bluegrass" - circa mid-1980s

Neil Russ sent along these photos from the past days of The Magic Of Bluegrass. The top photo features the show's founder, Bud Godreau. In the bottom photo, it's one of the many BG alumni from WHUS, Neil Russ.

A NorthernBound show in August...

A few years back, one of the most popular BG bands in CT was a group (mostly) from Winsted, in the northwestern corner of the state. NorthernBound is a band consisting of 3 brothers named Paden (Steve on mandolin, Ray on bass, Harry on banjo) and on the guitar, Mike Larocque. All four sing, and the group's arrangements often include four parts. For the last couple of years, NorthernBound took a sort of "hiatus" from performing, but they've come back for a few shows within the past few months.

On Friday, August 11th, NorthernBound will be performing at the Tolland County 4-H Fair. This fair is held at the Tolland Agricultural Center, 24 Hyde Avenue (Route 30) in Vernon, CT. Showtime is unknown, but we'll pass along that information when/if we get it. Admission seems like a bargain: $8 per vehicle OR $5 per individual walk-in. As an added feature, a group of young (early teens) CT bluegrassers who have come together as the group Sugar Creek will be performing, as well. Food will be available. For more information, call (860)423-6688.

Amy

The Gospel Friends were on the air...

From time to time, we like to have live music in the studio at WHUS. Our studio, as you can see, is not terribly huge, so if a band is bigger than, say, 5 pieces, we might have some difficulty fitting everyone in. One local band we've had the pleasure of having in the studio twice is Nick Anderson & the Gospel Friends. These folks don't play too many dates during the year, but they seem to get a great response whenever they do play. On December 11, 2005, they made their second in-studio appearance on the BG Cafe. Band members include Jim Plecan on mandolin & vocals, former WHUS DJ Tom Bowman on bass & vocals, singer Janice Main, Rich Gilbault on the banjo, and Nick Anderson on guitar & vocals. If you get a chance to see the Gospel Friends in person, by all means, you should. You can find them at the Jenny Brook Bluegrass Festival in Weston, VT on Sunday, June 25th, and locally, at the Prudence Crandall Museum in Canterbury on Saturday, August 19th from 6-9PM.

James Ward on the ol' radio, 6/18/2006

The Father's Day edition of the BG Cafe featured Guest DJ, James Ward. James picked and announced the tunes for the 5PM hour. Here, he's seen after completing another quality radio shift with his mom, Cathy (center), and our BG Cafe show producer, Myrna.

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 6/18/2006

"Bluegrass Cafe" - 6/18/2006 -- Amy Orlomoski

Smack dab in the middle of today's show was Guest DJ (and long-time listener) James Ward. The tunes James played are noted on our playlist in bold. How did James get to be a Guest DJ? During our annual Radiothon campaign in March, listeners were invited/encouraged to make a $50 pledge to WHUS. For that amount, they were able to come to the BG Cafe one day and spin whatever tunes they liked (BG, obviously) for an hour. James did a fine job, as he always does, and played some great tunes (especially if you're a fan of Rhonda Vincent). Thanks, James!

• Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
• My Rose Of Old Kentucky / Bill Monroe & the Blue Grass Boys / Essential Bill Monroe & the Blue Grass Boys / Columbia
• Thinking About You / David Peterson & 1946 / David Peterson & 1946 / Self-Produced
• I'm Not Living Life (It's Living Me) / Bo Isaac / I'm Not Living Life (It's Living Me) / Goodtyme
• Your Love Is Dying / Reno & Smiley / On Stage / Copper Creek
• That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine / Traver Hollow / By Request / Self-Produced
• Lonesome Pine / Blue Highway / Lonesome Pine / Rebel
• Highway Headed South / Marty Raybon / The Grass I Grew Up On / Self-Produced
• Another Tear / Cedar Hill / Portrait Of A Song / Hay Holler
• Tupelo County Jail / Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road / A Stop In South Port Towne / Blue Circle
• Worried Man Blues / Ralph Stanley / A Distant Land To Roam / Columbia
• Home Sweet Home / Jason Burleson / Cuppa 'Jo: The Huber Banjo Sessions, Vol.2 / Huber
• Hey, Hey, Hey / Virginia Ramblers / Virginia Ramblers / Hay Holler
• Old Hickory Cane / Dan Paisley & the Southern Grass / The Tradition Continues / Brandywine
• Shoes Too Big To Fill / Mitch Harrell / Shoes Too Big To Fill / So Long Records
• Cruel Love / Reno Brothers / Drawing From The Well / Webco
• All American Bluegrass Girl / Rhonda Vincent / All American Bluegrass Girl / Rounder
• Me And John And Paul / The Grascals / The Grascals / Rounder
• Coat Of Many Colors / Dolly Parton / Live And Well / Sugar Hill
• Sally Goodin / Jimmy Mattingly / Limerock / Self-Produced
• Sawmill Man / Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike / No Summer Storm / Rebel
• An Old Memory Found Its Way Back / Rhonda Vincent / One Step Ahead / Rounder
• Please Don't Say It / Cherryholmes / Bluegrass Vagabonds / Spirit High Ridge Music
• We Can't Go Wrong / Mark Newton & Rhonda Vincent / Follow Me Back To The Fold / Rebel
• The Waves On The Sea / Johnson Mountain Boys / Favorites / Rounder
• Daddy Did His Best / Dale Ann Bradley / Send The Angels / Mountain Home
• Will You Miss Me / Ralph Stanley with Pam Tillis / Clinch Mountain Sweethearts / Rebel
• Wasting My Time / Lonesome River Band / Head On Into Heartache / Mountain Home
• Cold Virginia Night / Ronnie Bowman / Cold Virginia Night / Rebel
• Don't Stop Now / Josh Williams / Lost Highway / Pinecastle
• God Bless The Soldier / Rhonda Vincent / All American Bluegrass Girl / Rounder
• I Can't Like Myself / Gibson Brothers / Underneath A Harvest Moon / Big Elm
• A Wound Time Can't Erase / Springfield Exit / Springfield Exit / Cracker Barrel
• If You Can't Stop Me From Dreaming / Marshall Wilborn / Root 5 / Pinecastle
• RV Blues / Smokey Greene / Friendly Voice Of Smokey Greene / Pinecastle
• O'Er The Road I'm Bound / Old Time Bluegrass Singers / Threads / Open Road
• 1946 / David Peterson & 1946 / In The Mountaintops To Roam / Self-Produced
• You Are My Sunshine / Norman Blake / O Brother Where Art Thou / Lost Highway
• Son Of Hobert / Ricky Skaggs & Keith Whitley / Second Generation / Rebel
• Cabin On A Mountain / Vern Williams Band / Bluegrass From The Gold Country / Rounder
• Five Flat Rocks / Del McCoury Band / The Promised Land / McCoury Music
• So Happy I'll Be / Flatt & Scruggs / Complete Mercury Sessions / Mercury
• Don't You Want To Go There / BlueRidge / Gettin' Ready / Pinecastle
• You Don't Knock / New Grass Revival / Every Time I Feel The Spirit / Sugar Hill
• When We Meet To Part No More / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Way Down Deep In My Soul / Sugar Hill
• Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder
  

Appearing tonight in the Wolf Den @ the Mohegan Sun...

Every night, there is free entertainment in the Wolf Den lounge at the Mohegan Sun Casino in nearby Uncasville, CT. In the almost 10 years the Sun has been open, there have been several BG performers in the free Wolf Den, including folks like Ricky Skaggs, Ralph Stanley, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Del McCoury, Rhonda Vincent, and even the Riders In The Sky (okay, they're not quite BG, but they sure are enjoyable!). Anyhow, tonight in the Wolf Den, the featured entertainer is Alecia Nugent. Alecia has been getting a lot of positive attention in the BG world lately, as she has a new CD on Rounder called "A Little Girl...A Big Four-Lane," and she's been on the cover of Bluegrass Unlimited. Alecia and her band will take the stage in the Wolf Den tonight at 8PM. For more information on the show, or directions on how to get to the Mohegan Sun, click here.

Looking ahead at the Wolf Den schedule posted on the website, it seems there may be a couple more shows of interest to followers of BG in the next couple of months:

Sunday, August 6th - Rhonda Vincent & the Rage -- 7PM
Wednesday, August 16th - Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives -- 8PM (don't know if this will be Marty's country show or something else, but we all know he never hovers too far away from his BG roots)

A BG bio for Neil Russ

In the mid-1980s, Neil Russ became one of the co-hosts of The Magic Of Bluegrass. Here's his recollections of the time, and how he got on the air at WHUS:

During a visit to the UCONN Library for information that my wife was seeking, I was waiting in the car and flipping through the FM stations searching for something I didn't expect to hear...Bluegrass!...on the radio, and I didn't have to "hang" a special antenna from the highest Connecticut mountain to receive it. What was this newly found wonderful show? I listened a little more, and Bud Godreau was there with his own Magic of Bluegrass. How great a feeling it was to be listening to "Grass" on a campus radio station knowing it was right there! My real job as an aerospace process/tool design engineer was relatively new, but the thirst for playing and spinning Bluegrass music had been "nipping at my heels" for a long time. I also wanted to use my former Connecticut School of Broadcasting experience and FCC license. So, while I listened I decided to call the radio station to see if I could be of some help to The Magic of Bluegrass.

In August of 1985, I did just that. I met with Bud during album spinning. Bud and I had a great conversation in the "on air studio." I found out that he was looking for someone to alternate with. We agreed to alternate Sunday afternoon coverage for The Magic of Bluegrass. Through Bud's unfailing, awesome help he convinced the very helpful and experienced WHUS FM Station General Manager, John Murphy, to let me start right away in the "on air studio. How lucky was that? I worked on the show up until approximately 1990. Running a three hour program can be very taxing at times, but the love for one's favorite music makes one strive harder to carry it on. I certainly didn't do this all alone. I had very fine people to encourage and help me along.

The first person who helped was my extremely understanding wife, Jennie, who watched me head out the door for the WHUS FM facilities when I should have been taking care of her or my wonderful son, or just stayiing home and starting that home project that kept getting pushed aside for the Love of Bluegrass.

Other helpful people I should mention are:

• Bud Godreau, obviously the starting torch and inspiration of The Magic of Bluegrass, and, a huge part of why we're all celebrating 25 years of Bluegrass on WHUS FM.
• Glenn Huffer, who then headed up the Connecticut Friends of Bluegrass and came on our radio shows to speak of important upcoming events in Bluegrass.
• Robert Allen, who was then, DJ'ing both WTCC, Springfield Technical C.C. and filling in periodically for Dave Helman, and his own bluegrass show at WMUA, The University of Massachusetts, and occasionally filling in for me at WHUS. Dave Helman, is still at WTCC with Country Corner and Country Corner Productions, another great DJ.
• Kevin Lynch, who was then with Traver Hollow, and now at WWUH Bluegrass on Saturday mornings in West Hartford, as well as with the Bluegrass band, TrueGrass.
• Sean Brennan, who was then with WWUH Bluegrass.
• Kim Cyr, with the Connecticut Bluegrass Association. Kim Cyr, Bud Godreau and I alternated working on The Magic of Bluegrass show a few years before Bud Godreau left the show.
• Marcel Huguenin, the guitar pickin' "Bluegrass Coyote," who alternated hosting the show with Kim and I until I left in 1990.
• John Thomas, who would fill in for all three of us in emergencies.
• Cathy Bumgarner - excellent bluegrass fiddler and WHUS FM DJ.
• Nick Anderson - Shady Creek Bluegrass Band
• Susan Hansen - one of the premier WHUS FM DJ's, who also headed up the Sunday Night Folk Festival, immediately following The Magic of Bluegrass [note from Amy: Susan's still on the air at WHUS following the Bluegrass Cafe every Sunday night, 7-10PM].
• Richard Guilbault, my personal friend and 5-string banjo player in several of our band evolutions.
• 25 Years of Record Company Help. Of course there wouldn't be any wonderful Bluegrass sounds, or music of any genre, if it weren't for unyielding help and supplies from record companies like Rounder and Flying Fish, to name a very few. Without them, we would not have had nearly 25 years of the very up-to-date albums, tapes, and CDs that are played on the air to the WHUS listening area.

One of the shear advantages that WHUS FM provides is having great studio facilities. Whenever time and band appearance dates would not conflict, we would have live area Bluegrass bands play right in our "on air studio" sometimes around Bud's "Lonesome (omni-directional) Microphone," and sometimes around my mics/equipment. Bud and my shows included, (and if I forgot someone, I'm sorry), the Wynn Faye Band, Grassroots (now known as the Grass Routes Bluegrass Band), Traver Hollow, Bill Hall & Northwind Bluegrass, Southern Rail, and with the technical help of Paul Harvey (lead singer/excellent guitar player at the time for Traver Hollow) in our on air studio, my band, at the time, the New Cumberland Homesteaders. I recall one occasion when Southern Rail played in the "on air studio." Robert Allen (who happens to be an FCC Class I license holder, an excellent Dobro/banjo player, and was in our earlier Bluegrass band) did such a professional job mixing that show that the group's bass player/singer, Sharon Horovitch, later told Bob that the group used the on air recording for demo recordings. Now, that's impressive. Bob and Southern Rail did a great show that day.

It has been a pleasure to know people from the past as well as the present who promote Bluegrass music on the radio. Because of dedicated people like Myrna, and great facilities that WHUS FM provides to the community, Bluegrass music will remain an extremely potent facet to the Connecticut airwaves and beyond.

The CT BG calendar...

Don't forget -- if you're looking for information on where many CT & other bands are playing in the state, a good resource for you is the calendar section of the CT Bluegrass Music Association's website. Those listings are kept up-to-date by CTBMA Webmaster, Kevin Lynch, so check there often to see what's happening. We will add listings here for some festivals and shows, but our information may not be quite as extensive as what you'll find on the CTBMA website.

Here's the link: http://www.ctbluegrass.org/events/concerts.html

Grass Routes in Manchester -- June 16

A new-ish venue for BG in Manchester, CT is The Main Pub, located at 306 Main Street. This pub is not a new establishment, by any means, but in the past year, they have booked up-and-coming band the Steep Canyon Rangers a couple of times, and this week, they will feature a long-time CT band, Grass Routes.

Grass Routes performs at The Main Pub on Friday, June 16 starting at 9:30PM. There is a minimal cover charge for this show, and the pub serves a full dinner menu. For more information, call The Main Pub at (860)647-1551, or visit their website.

For those interested in Northern Lights...

We had a nice note this week from Linda Bolton, who manages (among others) the more progressive group, Northern Lights. She'd like folks in CT to know that the Lights have 2 upcoming appearances in the state this summer:

Tuesday, July 25 -- Moodus, CT ; Grounds of Chestelm Health & Rehab, 534 Town Street -- 6:30PM. For more info, call (860)873-1455

Thursday, August 10 -- East Hartford, CT ; Town Green, Main Street -- 6:30PM. This show is sponsored by the East Hartford Parks & Rec. Commission, and will feature Northern Lights along with singer/songwriter Jonathan Edwards. For more information, call (860)528-1458.

If you're curious to know more about Northern Lights, visit their website. This is a band with a long-time Connecticut connection, as "elder statesman" of the band, guitarist Bill Henry, makes his home in North Stonington.

Jenny Brook Bluegrass Festival -- June 22-25

Here's some information on a terrific BG festival for the whole family that's coming up next weekend in Vermont. If you live in the Hartford, CT area, the location is a roughly 3 1/2-4 hour drive. That's not too far, though, to see and hear some outstanding BG! If you haven't already done so, make some plans to be there...

The Jenny Brook Bluegrass Festival will be held on June 22, 23, 24, & 25 at the Weston Recreation Area, Lawrence Hill Road, Weston, VT. Candi Sawyer has put together a terrific lineup for this 6th edition of Jenny Brook, including for two big days, the Gibson Brothers, Leroy Troy, and a group which includes a talented husband and wife from Tennessee, as well as 3 former members of the Johnson Mountain Boys, Springfield Exit. (If you're keeping score, those 3 former JMBs are David McLaughlin, Marshall Wilborn, & Tom Adams). In addition to those bands, you'll also get to see and hear Smokey Greene, Southern Rail, Junior Barber & Bear Tracks, TrueGrass, the Old Time Bluegrass Singers, Nick Anderson & the Gospel Friends, and, of course, your hosts, the Seth Sawyer Band. There will also be a workshop tent on Saturday, raffles throughout the weekend, and a Sunday morning gospel sing. At this point, advance orders are no longer available, but there will be plenty of tickets at the gate. The ubiquitous Harry Grant is in charge of sound.

For more information, call Candi at (802)463-1189 or email Candi@JennyBrookFestival.com. Weston, VT at the end of June can either be chilly and drizzly (2004) or extremely hot (2005), so plan accordingly. As for me, I'm bringing my winter coat in hopes that I won't need to use it! No matter, though -- the music will be great, so we hope to see you there!

Amy O.

Amy Orlomoski's BG bio

Sometimes, it can be fun to see how other folks came to listen to and appreciate the Bluegrass music. In several other posts, you've read the Bluegrass stories of WHUS BG show alumni, Marcel Huguenin and Kim Cyr, as well as our current BG personnel, show producer Myrna Riquier as well as "new kids" Jim Beaver & Marti Harmon. Now, it's my turn:

My first exposure to Bluegrass came through the records my brother, Dave, was playing in the mid-1970s. Among his favorites was an album released in the mid-1960s or so by a Rhode Island-based group: Fred Pike, Bill Rawlings, and the Twin River Boys. That group included a young mandolin player who would go on to greater fame in the Country Gentlemen -- Jimmy Gaudreau. Dave also was a big fan of the Country Gents, so, naturally, I listened to them a lot, too. In the 1980s, when I was still a kid, I added a young Bluegrass group to my limited list of favorites, the Johnson Mountain Boys. Many times, I couldn't understand any of the lyrics they were singing, but I sure liked their music.

As an undergrad at Eastern CT State University, I started a Bluegrass radio show called Simply Bluegrass. I stayed with that show for several years after graduating from ECSU, and was on the air there for a total of more than eight years.

After my "retirement" from Bluegrass radio in the late 1990s, my exposure to the music became more limited. I would go to an occasional festival (most likely one where my brother's band, Bear Bridge, was playing) and maybe buy one or two Bluegrass CDs a year, but that was about it. One day, a former listener of Simply Bluegrass called me to ask if I might be interested in helping out the Bluegrass radio show at WHUS. Myrna Riquier, our BG Cafe show producer, was that caller. Don't let anyone tell you anything different: being on the radio is fun! After all, where else can you sit in a little room, play all different types of Bluegrass (some you may enjoy much more than others), and talk to folks about this music?

Kim (Urbanik) Cyr's BG bio

Although no longer on the air at WHUS, many listeners are still familiar with Kim (Urbanik) Cyr, as she's still very much involved in the Connecticut and New England Bluegrass community. Here's a look at Kim's Bluegrass connections:

UCONN undergrad Kim (Urbanik) Cyr began co-hosting The Magic Of Bluegrass with host Bud Godreau in the Fall of 1986. During that initial run, Kim stayed on the air until her graduation in 1990, and then returned to WHUS for four years, beginning in 2000.

Kim Cyr had an insider’s point of view of the Bluegrass genre. Having grown up with the music, and having had the privilege to get to know many of the performers on a personal basis, she could often include first-hand knowledge in her programming, as well as the latest news. In this way, she could offer her listening audience a special opportunity to peek behind the curtain of the Bluegrass music scene.

Kim’s experience with Bluegrass started early, as her home life was filled with the music of her banjo-playing father, Don, and various relatives and family friends. There would be jam sessions or band rehearsals at the house on a regular basis. That practice continues to this day with the occasional hosting of touring artists in Kim’s home, and frequent music gatherings at a small lodge on the Urbanik Family ‘compound’.

As Founder and President of the Connecticut Bluegrass Music Association (or, CTBMA - a nonprofit organization), Kim has served as the fulcrum for all things Bluegrass in Connecticut for several years now. No one in Connecticut’s relatively short Bluegrass music history has had as much impact on the promotion and preservation of the genre. She is also extremely active behind the scenes volunteering as a backstage hostess, organizer, stage manager, and occasionally in the limelight as a festival stage manager and emcee.

Kim has had a long-standing relationship with the International Bluegrass Music Association [IBMA]. She is a member in good standing, volunteers her services at the annual “World of Bluegrass” convention in Nashville, TN, and has hosted showcase suites at this international event. Kim is also an alumnus of the ‘IBMA Leadership Bluegrass’ program.

Closer to home, Kim organized a “Bluegrass In The Schools" introductory program for CT elementary schools long before such programs became fashionable and spread nationwide. In the Summer of 2003, Kim started bringing this program to some of the state's public libraries. The goal is to teach young children about Bluegrass history through live music performances, short lectures, and to give youngsters some hands-on experience with Bluegrass instruments.

Another project Kim introduced, and organized, in Connecticut is the “Bluegrass Kid’s Academy” at a major festival in the state. It’s a three-day “crash course” teaching Bluegrass songs to young beginner-to-intermediate level musicians. The ‘Kid’s Academy’ culminates in a performance on the main stage where the students present the songs they learned during the festival weekend.

Marcel Huguenin's BG bio

Marcel - the "Bluegrass Coyote" - left the airwaves at WHUS in August 2000, when the show was still called The Magic Of Bluegrass. Here's Marcel's BG story:

Marcel Huguenin (born 3/9/1940) was always interested in music ever since there was a radio in the home to listen to. He recalls listening to The Grand Ole Opry on WSM 650 AM, WCKY Cincinnati 1530 AM (now a talk show), WJJD 1160 AM Chicago, and others. It was good old country music back then, with the likes of Kitty wells, Jean Shepard, Hank Snow, Webb Pierce Lefty Frizzell, the Louvin Brothers, Carl Smith, Hank Williams, etc.

Then it finally happened. While browsing through the record bins in the old shopping mall Marcel stumbled upon an old Flatt & Scruggs LP and it's been Bluegrass for him from that moment on. He started his LP Bluegrass collection in the early 60's and continues today with the latest of the best CDs.

It was on Memorial Day picnic, jamming around a camp fire that some friends suggested that he should take the training course at WHUS and become a Radio Bluegrass DJ. He jumped at the chance and completed the course near the end of September 1989. Bud Godreau who started The Magic Of Bluegrass guided Marcel through those first shaky days and then let the Old Coyote alternate the week-end shows with him. At first he did only one show a month because there were other Bluegrass DJ's alternating with Bud. He did his first solo show on October 22, 1989. He has kept detailed records of every show he did while at WHUS, including a cassette copy of each program start to finish. That’s quite a collection!

The Old Coyote did his last Magic Of Bluegrass show on Sunday, August 27, 2000. He and his wife, JoAnn, packed up and moved to Calabash, North Carolina on Wednesday, August 30, 2000. Looking back, Marcel says it was a fun time at WHUS, a whole new learning experience and it was encouraging to know of all the great people who listen to and enjoy Bluegrass music.

After relocating to NC, it has become a fun time of visiting many Bluegrass Jam sessions and many Bluegrass Festivals within 8 hrs drive of home. There's Graves Mountain in Syria Va, a great spot with unlimited camping and a great stage area with plenty of food & breakfast to be had within the same building structure. The best bands appear there every year with acts such as: Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Seldom Scene, Nothin' Fancy, the Bluegrass Brothers, Cherryholmes, Tony Rice & Peter Rowan, Marty Raybon...and on and on the list goes. There's Mineral Festival at Walton Park in Mineral, VA...with Marty Stuart, Larry Sparks, Jesse McReynolds, Larry Stephenson, Ralph Stanley, Doyle Lawson, Lewis Family, and Happy Holiday Campground in Cherokee, NC with Marty Stuart, Ricky Skaggs, Connie Smith, IIIRD Tyme Out, Mac Wiseman, Bobby Osborne, the Jeanette Williams Band, David Peterson, Raymond Fairchild...on..&...on...the list goes. Marcel's favorite festival is held in Summersville, WV each June...four days of continuous music from 9AM 'til midnight, and then into the wee hours in the fields. How about Karl Shiflett, James King, Ronnie Reno, Mountain Heart, Melvin Goins, Goldwing, Lonesome River, the Gillis Brothers, Rhonda, Doyle, David Parmley, Bluegrass Cardinals Reunion! Marcel says there are many more fun times ahead, and is glad he made the leap from a show on WHUS to living in the Bluegrass paradise of the south. And in the same manner as he closed his show for so many years, the Bluegrass Coyote says, “I'll see ya'll on down the road.”

Jim & Marti's BG bios

Jim Beaver and Marti Harmon are the husband and wife team who host the Red Rooster Party, which also airs on WHUS (currently Sundays, 2-4PM). In addition to hosting their own show, they mind the Bluegrass Cafe a couple of times per month, as well. Here's a bit of info about them, taken directly from their website:

Jim and Marti are both from the Piedmont region of North Carolina, but have lived in nine states and visited many foreign countries, most related to Jim's work in the aerospace industry. Marti is a secondary-level science teacher. Both have had a lifelong love of music of many genres. In fact, they met in their university's marching band and have been married since graduation. Marti occasionally pulls her French horn from its case and plays a bit. Jim set aside his trumpet and flugelhorn years ago and now plays the five-string banjo. Both Jim and Marti count bluegrass and roots music as their favorite these days, but have a huge collection of jazz, orchestral, western, and folk music, as well.

Myrna Riquier's BG bio

Our show producer is Myrna Riquier -- here's her Bluegrass story:

Born in 1936, Myrna grew up with Bluegrass music. Her mom was an avid fan of those early sounds called hillbilly music so it was heard in the home on a regular basis. Myrna got her first guitar at age 13 and began learning to play and began singing those early tunes. She recalls being shunned at school because of her musical tastes, often being referred to as a hillbilly, herself.

By the time she reached high school, she had found a friend who also enjoyed that hillbilly music. Armed with their guitars and dressed like twin cowgirls, the two appeared at various local events. They gained some respect from their fellow students when it became known that the girls were actually being paid to sing.

After graduation, she found a good amount of work playing her guitar and singing with various groups. When one of those groups needed a bass player, she jumped at the opportunity, even though she had never played a bass before. She bought one and on the following day played her first job as a bass player, without any lessons. She continued playing bass for nearly forty years.

In 1961 when her quarter horse contracted tetanus, requiring huge amounts of expensive antibiotics, even though she had a full-time office job, she knew she didn’t make enough money to cover such costly medicines and that she needed to increase her income immediately. A friend told her about a country band who needed a bass player for four nights a week. She went to see the band that very night and since there was no competition, she landed the job. Unfortunately, the horse died just a few days later, but in the year ahead she married Rick, the guitar player from that band she had joined.

In the early sixties, Myrna and Rick were both working steadily, playing country music around Connecticut, but they also formed a for-fun Bluegrass trio consisting of themselves and family friend, Bill Goodale. They did not make public appearances, except for a few hootenannies, and they never made a cent playing their Bluegrass music. Nevertheless, it was the kind of music they liked best and it was how they spent all of their spare time.

In 1964, finding herself newly widowed and now with a home to pay for, Myrna turned her full attention to country music again and an electric bass, since work in this genre was plentiful at the time and it paid well. She worked continuously with many different country music bands into the early 90’s.

In the late 90’s she met Marcel Huguenin, the Old WHUS Coyote, and his wife JoAnn. They became good friends and when the Huguenins announced that they were retiring to North Carolina, Myrna promised Marcel she would work to keep the bluegrass music going on WHUS. She continues to do that. In the picture, you'll see Myrna at the 2004 IBMA Awards with Marcel and JoAnn.

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 6/11/2006

"Bluegrass Cafe" - 6/11/2006 -- Jim Beaver

• Wild Turkey / Gillis Brothers / Down By The River / Hay Holler
• Hello City Limits / Michael Cleveland / Let 'Er Go, Boys! / Rounder
• Wide Open / Mountain Heart / Wide Open / Skaggs Family
• Little Maggie / Stanley Brothers / The Early Years 1958-1961 / King
• Breaking New Ground / Alecia Nugent / A Little Girl… A Big Four-Lane / Rounder
• God Bless The Soldier / Rhonda Vincent / All American Bluegrass Girl / Rounder
• Red Rockin' Chair / David Peterson & 1946 / In The Mountaintops to Roam / Self-Produced
• No Longer a Sweetheart of Mine / Don Reno & Red Smiley / Appalachian Stomp / Rhino
• Roses / Mountain Heart / Mountain Heart / Doobie Shea
• Hit Parade Of Love / Jimmy Martin / Appalachian Stomp / Rhino
• Cotton Eyed Joe / Herschel Sizemore / My Style / Hay Holler
• I'm Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open / Dolly Parton / The Grass Is Blue / Sugar Hill
• The Storms Are On The Ocean / Larry Perkins & Friends / A Touch of the Past / Pinecastle
• You Better Get Right / Seldom Scene / Scene It All / Sugar Hill
• That's Why You Left Me So Blue / Mac Martin & the Dixie Travelers / Travelin' On / Copper Creek
• It's Mighty Dark To Travel / George Shuffler / Aged To Perfection / Copper Creek
• In Despair / David Parmley, Scott Vestal & Continental Divide / On The Divide / Pinecastle
• Girl Behind The Bar / Jay Armsworthy & Eastern Tradition / Making Memories / Self-Produced
• Runnin' Wild Deep River / Larry Stephenson Band / Can't Stop Myself / Webco
• Fly Away / Southern Rail / Carolina Lightning / Turquoise
• Montana Cowboy / Michael Cleveland / Let 'Er Go, Boys! / Rounder
• Orange Blossom Special / Marty Stuart & his Fabulous Superlatives / Live At The Ryman / Universal South
• No Hard Times Blues / Marty Stuart & his Fabulous Superlatives / Live At The Ryman / Universal South
• The Old Brown County Barn / Michael Cleveland / Let 'Er Go, Boys! / Rounder
• Julia Belle / Janet Beazley / 5 South / Backcountry
• Workin' Girl Blues / Cherryholmes / Cherryholmes / Skaggs Family
• All American Bluegrass Girl / Rhonda Vincent / All American Bluegrass Girl / Rounder
• Barefoot Nelly / Good Old Boys / Pistol Packin' Mama / GDM
• Hey Hey Hey / Stanley Brothers / 1949-52 / Bear Family
• Billboard Song / Lilly Brothers & Don Stover / Live At Hillbilly Ranch / Hay Holler
• Choo Choo / Flatt Mountain Boys / Best of Starday Bluegrass / King
• I Could Love You / Flatt Mountain Boys / Best of Starday Bluegrass / King
• She's Just A Cute Thing / Jimmy Martin - Bob Osborne / Best of Starday Bluegrass / King
• Lazarus / Blue Highway / Marbletown / Rounder
• Cowboy Jim / Dry Branch Fire Squad / Tried & True / Rounder
• Out On The Ocean / Red Allen / Keep On Going / Rebel
• Ruby, Are You Mad / Osborne Brothers & Red Allen / Best of Bluegrass Volume 1 / Mercury
• Harlan County Five-String / Steve Sparkman / Harlan County Five-String / Copper Creek
• Cora Is Gone / Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs & the Foggy Mountain Boys / Best of Bluegrass Volume 1 / Mercury
• Me and John and Paul / Grascals / Grascals / Rounder
• Headin' South / Boys From Indiana / Good Time Blues / Rebel
• We Buried Her Beneath The Willow / Mac Martin & the Dixie Travelers / Venango / Copper Creek
• Beautiful Brown Eyes / Charles River Valley Boys / Bluegrass And Old Timey Music / Prestige
• This Old Martin Box / Blue Moon Rising / On The Rise / Lonesome Day
• Sophronie / Jimmy Martin / Songs of a Free Born Man / CMH
• Shady Grove / Tom Adams & Michael Cleveland / Live at the Ragged Edge / Rounder
• Satan's Jewelled Crown / Joe Val & the New England Bluegrass Boys / Angels Rejoiced - Live In Holland / Strictly Country
• Campin' In Canaan Land / Carl Story / Mighty Close to Heaven / Starday
• Send The Angels Down / Dale Ann Bradley / Send The Angels / Mountain Home
• I'm Bound For The Land of Canaan / Del McCoury Band / The Promised Land / McCoury Music
• I Am The Man, Thomas / Stanley Gospel Tradition / Songs About Our Savior / Doobie Shea
• Ohoopee / Gillis Brothers / Down By The River / Hay Holler

Bluegrass at Buttery Brook - July 22

Here's a heads-up on a good one-day festival coming up in the not-too-distant future...

Bluegrass at Buttery Brook Park will be held on Saturday, July 22, 2006 from 10AM-7PM at the Buttery Brook Park on Route 33, South Hadley, MA. Dave Helman of Country Corner Productions and WTCC has put together a great line-up for this show, including a rare New England appearance by Massachusetts native David Peterson & 1946, as well as regional favorites, the Hunger Mountain Boys, and a great Connecticut-based traditional group, TrueGrass. Other bands will be announced. For more information, contact Dave at (413)467-9394 or email davehelman@comcast.net.

We'll see you there.

Amy O.

History of Bluegrass at WHUS

For those who might be curious, here's a summary of how Bluegrass found its way to the airwaves at WHUS:

Bluegrass music was introduced to the WHUS airwaves early in 1982 in an innocent sort of way. John Murphy, WHUS General Manager then and now, was hosting a Tuesday night talk show, and after the interview had ended, a new DJ named Bud Godreau would play bluegrass for the rest of the timeslot. Listeners requested that the bluegrass show be expanded, so it moved to a one-hour slot on Saturdays shortly thereafter. Listeners wanted more, though, so in September 1982, the bluegrass show – named The Magic Of Bluegrass by Bud’s wife, Gail – expanded to three hours on Sundays. Bud was the show's only host from its inception until UCONN student Kim Urbanik came on board as a co-host in 1986.

In 1989, a third bluegrass DJ came to join in the rotation – Neil Russ. For a time, Bud, Kim, and Neil alternated hosting duties on the show, each bringing their own spin on all things bluegrass. However, in 1990, Kim and Neil both left WHUS, and Bud remained as the show’s sole host. In 1992, Neil Russ returned to WHUS, this time with two new co-hosts: Marcel “Ye Ole Coyote” Huguenin and another UCONN undergrad (and fiddle player), Cathy Bumgarner.

With The Magic Of Bluegrass in the capable hands of Marcel, Neil, and Cathy, Bud decided to “retire” from the bluegrass radio airwaves. He continued to fill-in on the show from time-to-time until 1994.

After Bud’s departure, the “Ole Coyote” became the main host of The Magic Of Bluegrass. Cathy and Neil continued to help him out on the airwaves, and soon thereafter, John Thomas (aka JT) joined in the mix. Toward the end of Marcel’s adio time at WHUS, Myrna Riquier joined the bluegrass staff to assist with production and other behind-the-scenes sort of work. Marcel remained at the helm of the show until his retirement and relocation to North Carolina in August of 2000. His tenure as the show’s host remains it’s second longest, after that of the show’s founder, Bud Godreau.

Tom Bowman came to WHUS in September of 2000. He initially changed the show's name to Mostly Bluegrass, but later renamed it Bluegrass Café. About the same time, Kim (Urbanik) Cyr returned to the WHUS airwaves to share the host spot with Tom. In the spring of 2001, Myrna recruited Amy Orlomoski, who joined in to serve as an occasional host of the program.

In the fall of 2003, further recruiting brought Bluegrass Café two more hosts, Bob Flagg and Cindy White. By the spring of 2004, though, both Kim and Tom had departed Bluegrass Café and in the spring of 2005, Bob and Cindy left, as well. In the summer of 2005, Myrna recruited two more willing bluegrass programmers, Jim Beaver, Jr. and Marti Harmon. Jim and Marti were so enthusiastic about being on the air that they began their own show of traditional music at WHUS (called Red Rooster Party) in the fall of 2005.

As we approach our 25th year of broadcasting bluegrass at WHUS, the Bluegrass Café remains on the air with Amy and Jim, ably assisted by Marti and our show producer, Myrna. We continue to keep our listeners updated on all things bluegrass: new music, classic bluegrass, interviews, giveaways, even occasional live performances. When you’re in our southern New England listening area, we invite you to join us the “old-fashioned” way at 91.7 on your FM dial every Sunday from 4:00-7:00PM EST. You can also listen to our streaming broadcast at www.whus.org.

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 6/4/2006

"Bluegrass Café" - 6/4/2006 -- Amy Orlomoski

This week's show included music from the debut CD of a Connecticut-based band, "Threads" by the Old Time Bluegrass Singers. Also showcased was music from the new Cedar Hill CD, which has been receiving tons of positive comments on the (sometimes) infamous BGgrass-L, and a tune or two from our old eastern Connecticut (and New England) favorite Bluegrass son, the late Fred Pike.

• Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
• Molly And Tenbrooks / Larry Stephenson & Mark Newton with Lou Reid / Live At Mr. B's / B's Records
• Say Won't You Be Mine / Stanley Brothers / Best Of The Stanley Brothers / Mercury
• Tennessee Border / Dwight McCall / Kentucky Peace Of Mind / Lavenir
• Travelin' Down This Lonesome Road / Dreadful Snakes / Snakes Alive! / Rounder
• Hillbilly Heartache / Don Rigsby & Midnight Call / Prime Cuts Of Bluegrass, Vol. 81 / KBC
• Lower On The Hog / IIIrd Tyme Out / Puttin' New Roots Down / Rebel
• All American Bluegrass Girl / Rhonda Vincent / Prime Cuts Of Bluegrass, Vol. 79 / KBC
• Sun's Gonna Shine / Windy Creek / Take Me Back To The Mountains / Self-Produced
• You're My Darling / Old Time Bluegrass Singers / Threads / Open Road
• I Can't Stand To Ramble / Good Ol' Persons / Good N' Live / Sugar Hill
• Tolland Deserted / Old Time Bluegrass Singers / Threads / Open Road
• Waiting For The Real Thing / Front Range / The New Frontier / Sugar Hill
• There Is A Trap / Old Time Bluegrass Singers / Threads / Open Road
• The Shape I'm In / Seldom Scene / Dream Scene / Sugar Hill
• Smith Ridge / Steve Sparkman / Smith Ridge / Copper Creek
• This Old Martin Box / Blue Moon Rising / On The Rise / Lonesome Day
• Walking With Joanna / Gibson Brothers / Red Letter Day / Sugar Hill
• We Can't Be Darlings Anymore / Jim Van Cleve / No Apologies / Rural Rhythm
• That's How I Can Count On You / Red Allen / Lonesome And Blue / Rebel
• Roll On Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Blue Diamond / Rounder
• Come On Down To My World / J.D. Crowe & The New South / Come On Down To My World / Rounder
• Home Run Man / Audie Blaylock / Tribute To Jimmy Martin / Koch
• Another Tear / Cedar Hill / Portrait Of A Song / Hay Holler
• Crazy Blues / Jimmy Gaudreau / In Good Company / CMH
• I Beg To You / Cedar Hill / Portrait Of A Song / Hay Holler
• I'll Never See My Home Again / Fred Pike, Bill Rawlings & Twin River Boys / Acoustic Bluegrass Folk Music / Osage
• White Lightning / The Grascals / Celebration Of Life / Skaggs Family
• Nothing But A Whippoorwill / Blue Highway / Marbletown / Rounder
• Dixie Breakdown / Fred Pike, Bill Rawlings & Twin River Boys / Acoustic Bluegrass Folk Music / Osage
• Old Swingin' Bridge / Bob Paisley & The Southern Grass / Back To The Blue Ridge / Brandywine
• A Good Woman's Love / David Peterson & 1946 / In The Mountaintops To Roam / Self-Produced
• I Ain't Leavin' / Tony Holt & the Wildwood Valley Boys / Daylight's Burnin' / Rebel
• Sugar In The Gourd / Michael Cleveland / Let 'Er Go, Boys! / Rounder
• Poverty Row / Springfield Exit / Springfield Exit / Cracker Barrel
• You Can Keep Your Nine Pound Hammer / Bill Emerson & Pete Goble / Webco Classics / Webco
• Monroebilia / Nashville Bluegrass Band / Nashville Bluegrass Band / Rounder
• Company Blues / Chatham County Line / Speed Of The Whippoorwill / Yep Roc
• Ain't No Way Of Knowin' / Lou Reid & Carolina / Time / Lonesome Day
• Ballad Of Forty Dollars / Wildfire / Rattle Of The Chains / Pinecastle
• The Year That Clayton Delaney Died / Charlie Sizemore / The Story Is…The Songs Of Tom T. Hall / Rebel
• Cold Sheets Of Rain / Clay Jones / Mountain Tradition / Rural Rhythm
• Danville Pike / Blue Highway / Still Climbing Mountains / Rounder
• God Loves His Children / Bluegrass Band / Shine Hallelujah Shine / Hay Holler
• Fifty Miles Of Elbow Room / Bear Bridge Band / Broken Hearts & Better Times / Open Road
• We Shall Inherit / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / He Lives In Me / SSK
• Sweeping Through The Gates / Dan Paisley & The Southern Grass / The Tradition Continues / Brandywine
• I'm Bound For The Land Of Canaan / Del McCoury Band / The Promised Land / McCoury Music
• Blue Grass Twist / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder
  

Sterling Park Bluegrass Festival - June 9-11

Even though this weekend the big Strawberry Park Bluegrass Festival is happening in Preston, CT (and surprise -- it looks like it's going to rain!), there is another Bluegrass festival coming up in the area next weekend. This will be the 16th annual Sterling Park Bluegrass Festival, and it's held at the Sterling Park Campground on Gibson Hill Road in Sterling, CT. Featured acts on the bill this year include Dan Helman & Marking Time, Rocky Hollow, Bill Hall & Northwind, the Pine Hill Ramblers, Charter Oak, Nick Anderson & the Gospel Friends, and lots of others. For more information, call (860)564-8777 or email campatsterling@aol.com. If you need directions on how to find the campground, visit their website.

One more thing -- you just may spot the red & black WHUS tent if you attend the festival during the weekend. Our ever-present and always-faithful Myrna will have lots of WHUS bumper stickers, pens, and plenty of info about our programming and upcoming concerts. You can also put your name in for a drawing to win a Bluegrass Cafe t-shirt. Stop by and see Myrna!

Amy O.

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 5/28/2006

"Bluegrass Cafe" - 5/28/2006 -- Jim Beaver

This show featured a live interview with a living legend of Bluegrass, Curly Seckler.

• Wild Turkey / Gillis Brothers / Down By The River / Hay Holler
• Me And John And Paul / Grascals / Grascals / Rounder
• Down Where The River Bends / Ralph Stanley / Saturday Night/Sunday Morning / Freeland Recording
• Letter To The Captain / Curly Seckler / Down In Caroline / Copper Creek
• Black Eyed Suzy / Lester Flatt & The Nashville Grass / A Living Legend / CMH
• Bummin' An Old Freight Train / Lester Flatt & The Nashville Grass / A Living Legend / CMH
• Last Letter Home / Gibson Brothers / Another Night Of Waiting / Hay Holler
• We Can't Be Darlings Anymore / Curly Seckler / That Old Book Of Mine / County
• What's The Matter Now / Curly Seckler / That Old Book Of Mine / County
• Cold Virginia Night / Ronnie Bowman / Cold Virginia Night / Rebel
• My Favorite Memory / Cox Family / Everybody's Reaching Out For Someone / Rounder
• An Old Memory Found Its Way Back / Rhonda Vincent / One Step Ahead / Rounder
• The Legend of The Johnson Boys / Lester Flatt & The Nashville Grass / A Living Legend / CMH
• My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains / Bob Paisley & The Southern Grass / Live In Holland / Strictly Country
• Darlin' Nellie Across The Sea / Bob Paisley & The Southern Grass / Live In Holland / Strictly Country
• He's Coming To Us Dead / Dry Branch Fire Squad / Mountain Journey / Rounder
• Ocean Of Diamonds / Jimmy Martin / Songs Of A Free Born Man / CMH
• Sunny Side of the Mountain / Mac Martin & The Dixie Travelers / Venango / Copper Creek
• In The Cool Light Of Dawn / Mac Martin & The Dixie Travelers / Venango / Copper Creek
• America On Bended Knees / Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys / New Horizons / Pinecastle
• Pray for the Boys / Flatt & Scruggs / 1948-1959 / Bear Family
• Atlanta Is Burning / Dry Branch Fire Squad / Hand Hewn / Rounder
• My Old Kentucky Home / Dan Paisley & The Southern Grass / The Tradition Continues / Brandywine
• We'll Meet Again Sweetheart / Curly Seckler / 60 Years Of Bluegrass With My Friends / Copper Creek
• Moonlight on My Cabin / Curly Seckler / 60 Years Of Bluegrass With My Friends / Copper Creek
• Down In Caroline / Curly Seckler / 60 Years Of Bluegrass With My Friends / Copper Creek
• China Grove, My Hometown / Curly Seckler / 60 Years Of Bluegrass With My Friends / Copper Creek
• Valley of Peace / Curly Seckler / Down In Caroline / Copper Creek
• Pig In A Pen / Stanley Brothers / The King Years, 1961-1965 / King
• Columbus Stockade Blues / Doc & Richard Watson / Third Generation Blues / Sugar Hill
• Take Me In The Lifeboat / The McLains / More Fun Than We Ought To Have / Pinecastle
• If I Didn't Know Any Better /Alison Krauss & Union Station / Lonely Runs Both Ways / Rounder
• Bluff City / Lou Reid & Carolina / Carolina, I'm Coming Home / Self-Produced
• Hot Corn, Cold Corn / Dry Branch Fire Squad / Live At The Newburyport Firehouse / Rounder
• Rambling Gambler / Flatt & Scruggs / 1959-1963 / Bear Family
• Stone Walls And Steel Bars / Stanley Brothers / King Years, 1961-1965 / King
• I'm On My Way Back To The Old Home / Red Allen / Lonesome And Blue / County
• Free As The Wind / Country Gentlemen / Joe's Last Train / Rebel
• All The Good Times Are Past And Gone / King Wilkie / True Songs / Self-Produced
• Soldier's Prayer / Mountain Heart / Force Of Nature / Skaggs Family
• Message For Peace / James King / Lonesome And Then Some / Rounder
• You Don't Love God / Carl Story & His Rambling Mountaineers / Mighty Close To Heaven / Starday
• Somebody Touched Me / Stanley Brothers / Gloryland-30 Bluegrass Gospel Classics /
  Time-Life
• Shine Hallelujah Shine / Reno & Smiley / Gloryland-30 Bluegrass Gospel Classics / Time-Life
• Were You There? / Seldom Scene / Gloryland-30 Bluegrass Gospel Classics / Time-Life
• The Old Rugged Cross / Larry Sparks / Gloryland-30 Bluegrass Gospel Classics / Time-Life
• Ohoopee / Gillis Brothers / Down By The River / Hay Holler
  

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 5/21/2006

Bluegrass Cafe - 5/21/2006 -- Amy Orlomoski

Due to some rough weather in the area, this show's big "feature" was two separate break-ins by the Emergency Broadcast System warning our listeners of lots of thunder, lightning, and hail.

• Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / Rocky Grass / Blue Planet
• Watermelon Hangin' On The Vine / Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys / Live At Mechanics Hall / Acoustic Disc
• Panhandle Country / Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys / Live At Mechanics Hall / Acoustic Disc
• Dark Hollow / Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys / Live At Mechanics Hall / Acoustic Disc
• Country Boy Rock And Roll / Reno & Smiley / Good Old Country Ballads / King
• Rodger Young / Country Gentlemen / Early Rebel Recordings / Rebel
• It's Grand To Have Someone To Love You / Traditional Grass / Songs Of Love And Life / Rebel
• Night / Michael Cleveland / Let 'Er Go, Boys! / Rounder
• Daddy Frank / Jim Mills / Hide Head Blues / Sugar Hill
• Ice Covered Birches / Misty Valley Boys / Bluegrass Piedmont Style / MasterShield
• Georgia Girl / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Quicksilver Rides Again! / Sugar Hill
• Georgia Bound / Jimmy Bowen & Santa Fe / Stone Fences / Santa Fe Records
• Some Old Day / Flatt & Scruggs / Foggy Mountain Jamboree / Columbia
• How Long? / Cherryholmes / Cherryholmes / Skaggs Family
• Old Time Preacher Man / Bear Tracks / Makin' Tracks / Self-Produced
• My Friend Clyde / Spinney Brothers / If I Were Your Brother / Self-Produced
• Stone Fences / Jimmy Bowen & Santa Fe / Stone Fences / Santa Fe Records
• There Will Always Be A Rocking Chair / David Parmley & Continental Divide / Celebration Of Life / Skaggs Family
• Blue In The Blue Ridge / James Alan Shelton w/Ernie Thacker / Blue In The Blue Ridge / Freeland Recording
• This Old House / Rice Brothers / Bluegrass Class Of 1990 / Rounder
• My Old Kentucky Home / Dan Paisley & The Southern Grass / The Tradition Continues / Brandywine
• Johnny & Jack Medley / Country Gentlemen / Early Rebel Recordings / Rebel
• No Mother Or Dad / Curly Seckler / 60 Years Of Bluegrass With My Friends / Copper Creek
• Dreams About The Hills Of Home /Bluegrass Patriots / E Pluribus Bluegrass / Red Feather
• Home To You /Peasall Sisters /Home To You /Dualtone
• Picture In The Moonlight /Gibson Brothers / Spread Your Wings /Hay Holler
• Up This Hill And Down /Larry Stephenson & Mark Newton /Live At Mr. B's /B's Records
• Laura Jean /Pine Mountain Railroad /Heartache & Hope /TrakTone Records
• Misery Loves Company / Johnson Mountain Boys / Favorites / Rounder
• Up All Night / John Lawless / Five & Dime / Copper Creek
• Good Love / Lynn Morris Band / Shape Of A Tear /Rounder
• Grapes On The Vine / Wildfire /Rattle Of The Chains / Pinecastle
• The Train Carryin' Jimmie Rodgers Home / Nashville Bluegrass Band / Nashville Bluegrass Band / Rounder
• Blue Yodel #1 (T For Texas) / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder
• Some Of These Days (You're Gonna Be Sad) / David Peterson & 1946 / In The Mountaintops To Roam / Self-Produced
• Waiting To Hear You Call My Name / Steep Canyon Rangers / One Dime At A Time / Rebel
• The Hard Times / Bobby Osborne / Try A Little Kindness / Rounder
• 32 Acres / Special Consensus / 25th Anniversary /Pinecastle
• Passing Of The Train / Rhonda Vincent / Back Home Again / Rounder
• There's A Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere / Osborne Brothers / Hyden / Pinecastle
• Every Time You Say Goodbye / Alison Krauss & Union Station / Every Time You Say Goodbye / Rounder
• Airmail Special / Jim & Jesse / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
• Sophronie / Audie Blaylock / Tribute To Jimmy Martin /Koch
• Light At The River / Mac Wiseman / Grassroots To Bluegrass / CMH
• On The Sunny Side Of Life / Country Gentlemen / Early Rebel Recordings / Rebel
• I Want To Be A Christian Soldier / Crowe & McLaughlin / Going Back / Rounder
• Open Up The Window, Noah / Seldom Scene / Scene 20 / Sugar Hill
• Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

Standard disclaimer

Before we post anything that may cause controversy in any way, you should be aware that no one posting here is speaking for WHUS, nor does WHUS speak for us. Any opinions expressed here are ours exclusively, period.

Amy O.

Links for more BG info...

You may notice to the right that we have included a few links for you to explore. They are:

1. WHUS. Like many radio stations, you can now listen to all of our programming through your computer. Of course, we'd love to have you listen to the BG Cafe in this manner if you're outside of our traditional broadcasting range. You may be interested in other programming you'll find at WHUS, as well, including folk, soul, polka music, world music, jazz, classical, and lots of public affairs programs. Take a look at what we have to offer when you visit the site.
2. The Bluegrass Blog. This blog is a great resource for information on all things bluegrass on a worldwide level. The authors are primarily John Lawless of AcuTab Publications and the band, Acoustic Endeavors, and Brance Gillihan of Clear Blue Productions, and news is added to the blog daily. Check it out for your daily "fix" of BG news.
3. The Connecticut Bluegrass Music Association. This is the online homeplace of the Connecticut Bluegrass Music Association (or, CTBMA), which is a non-profit organization dedicated to the education, preservation, and evolution of Bluegrass music. On the website, information is included on their various programs, as well as their Salem Barn concerts and other BG shows in CT. CTBMA was founded in 2000 by a WHUS alum bluegrass broadcaster, Kim Cyr.
4. The Rhode Island Bluegrass Music Association. This "new kid on the block" (also known as RIBGMA) was formed in early 2006 by RI banjo man, Richard Guilbault. Even though this new group is based in RI and carries that name, the organization is really dedicated to "preservation, promotion, and education of the public in the heritage and traditions of Bluegrass Music in Rhode Island and our neighboring states." This is a non-profit, membership organization, so if you'd like to join in, go to the RIBGMA website for more information.

Happy surfing!

Amy O.

What is a blog, anyway?

For those who may not be familiar with blogs or blogging, here's the definition from Webster's New Millennium Dictionary of English (2005):

blog: a personal Web site that provides updated headlines and news articles of other sites that are of interest to the user, also may include journal entries, commentaries, and recommendations compiled by the user; also written as Web log, Weblog

For our purposes, this Bluegrass Cafe (or, BG Cafe) blog will include information on upcoming festivals and shows in New England (particulary southern New England), information about new CDs and performers, links to other bluegrass sites of interest to our listeners and readers, and maybe even some of our own thoughts on various bluegrass topics. You may see information posted by either of the BG Cafe's radio hosts: Amy Orlomoski and Jim Beaver, as well as our longtime show producer, Myrna Riquier. We'll always let you know who has posted something, so that confusion will be avoided. Commentary from you is always welcome, so if you've got something to say, feel free to click the link at the bottom of this post (it says "[Number]comments"; when you click on it, a new window will open, and you'll be able to post your comments).

Amy O.